Law School has turned my life into a hot mess. Staying organized is something I struggle with every day... keeping up with classes, reading, assignments, online homework, bills, homeownership, pet care and blogging is enough to make my head spin. Below are a few necessities that keep me organized and in all honesty, sane.
If you are in law school and you have heard the word outlining 365x since starting, raise your hand. If you were 110% confused as it what the elusive "outline" was, raise it again. If you spent 1L Thanksgiving break frantically outlining and still having no clue what you were doing and then entered your first round of exams with no confidence in those 30-40 page monster outlines, raise it one more time. If you raised your hand every time, you are just like me.
I had NO idea what on earth an outline was when I started law school. I looked all over the internet, talked to all my professors, talked to 2Ls and 3Ls and yet I still did not fully understand what I was supposed to be doing. I gave it the good old college try over Thanksgiving break because prior to that, I just hadn't been able to wrap my head around what I needed to do. Come exam time, I studied the crap out of those outlines but I was not 100% confident I had everything I needed to know or had it arranged and synthesized correctly. Throughout my first semester of law school, just the word "outline" caused me to have extreme anxiety. Now that I am on to semester two, I am feeling much better about the whole process. So for anyone out there who is struggling the way I did first semester, I truly hope this helps! A good outline is a big key to law school exam success so understanding the process is key.
Welcome to a day in the life of a Law Student. I am going to outline my day, Tuesday, and break down what life really looks like when you are a Law Student. FYI, it is the furthest thing from glamorous....
I know many schools are starting law school orientation today or first law school classes. For those who are in either of those categories, I wish you the BEST of luck! (If you want to know more about my Orientation Experience, here are my posts about it and if you want to know what my first day of law school was like, check out this post or for a recap of my first week, check out this post)
After an Instagram q&a session, I realized there are a lot of little questions and concerns nagging at new law students. I decided to start a little series to try to answer those questions and concerns. I have already blogged about some things but over the next few days, I will be blogging daily to fill in the blanks. When complete, I will compile it all into one easy to access post to help future law students seeking answers.
Up first, how to brief a case for law school. I have not previously blogged about this because I never felt fully competent to offer advice on case briefing... I am not really sure why but it's the truth. Now that I am a 3L and I have cased briefed hundreds of cases, I feel I can express the basics without screwing anyone up. This is going to be very bare bones and simple case briefing instructions- I encourage everyone to develop their own style for briefing cases over time and with practice.
What is a Case Brief?
A case brief is as you may assume, a brief statement of the important pieces of a legal case. The law is built through precedent so the cases that came before truly contain the black letter law. Most law school classes (1L core classes in particular) involve reading vast amounts of cases. One of the best and most widespread ways for you to comprehend these often antiquated and convoluted cases is through case briefing.
A case brief pulls out the important elements of the case: the issue at stake, the rule of law established or involved, the facts of the particular case, related precedent law, the rationale of the judges for the rule and the conclusion of the case.
Case briefing before class is one of the best ways to be prepared for being cold called. Professors will often ask you to state the facts of the case or the issue at stake- if you briefed, you can simply read off of that without stressing about what the answer is. At the beginning of law school, you will often get those core elements incorrect and that is OKAY. The point of the process is to learn to read cases and be able to pick out those elements and it usually does not happen overnight. Just like anything, case briefing gets easier with time and you will improve with steady practice. How I Case Brief
I have included an example of what my case briefs look like. (I used a fake case... you may recognize the name if you are a fan of Legally Blonde). I always write out a case brief. Some people do "book briefing" which is where they highlight the elements of a case brief within the book in different colors. This works for a lot of people but it did not work for me so I stick with written case briefs for each case in my reading.
I do like to color code my brief sections so that when I get called on in class, I just look for the corresponding color of the information I am seeking. Usually, I type up my case briefs in word so they are all pretty and easy to read and leave big margins and lots of space between elements. I print them out and fill in those big margins with class notes on the case that the professor points out and I add that into my binder with the corresponding notes from that piece of law. As for the elements of the case brief, let's break that down further.
1. Issue
The issue of a case is whatever the case is seeking to resolve through the legal process. Most cases you read in law school are from their appellate decisions so it is issues of law not issues of fact up for argument. When reading a case, look for words like issue or whether which will often point you to the contested issue.
A good example of an issue statement for a case brief is:
Is the government required to notify arrested defendants of their Fifth Amendment constitutional rights against self-incrimination before interrogation? (from Miranda v. Arizona)
2. Rule of Law
The rule of law is the legal manifestation of the decision reached by the court. Every court decision must be based on law. In the United States, we have a common law system so our law comes from precedent (previous cases and decisions). The rule of law will either comply with the precedent law or overrule it to create new law.
The rule of law will be a firm statement of the legal basis for the conclusion the court has reached. I think this is one of the easier parts of a case brief to determine.
An example of a rule of law for a case brief:
Government authorities must inform individuals of their Fifth Amendment constitutional rights prior to interrogation after arrest (also from Miranda v. Arizona)
3. Precedent
Precedent within a case brief is simply the previous cases in this chain of case law. As I said, cases in law school casebooks are usually appellate which means they have been previously tried. Precedent is an explanation of what has already happened in this case that led to it being in front of the appellate court. This is the simplest part of a case brief in my opinion. I can usually get this done in a sentence or two.
4. Facts
Though the most important part of cases is the rule of law and underlying rationale, it is so important to have a solid grasp of the case facts as well. Understanding what happened to give rise to the legal proceedings will help you to understand what factual basis gives rise to certain legal issues and rules of law. The facts section of a case brief should contain only the relevant facts to the issue, rationale, and rule- it should not read like a mystery novel. This should be very brief and kinda dry- leave out the juicy details in favor of a quick and dirty version of what happened. I try to keep the fact section of my case briefs to one paragraph.
5. Rationale or Holding
This is the hardest part of a case brief in my opinion. Why did the court reach the conclusion that they did based on these facts and law? This is the very important why part of a case. This will often involve precedent law on the same issue, the policy purposes behind the relevant law and so much more. This is the part of a case brief that gets easier with lots of practice. It took me quite a lot of reading during my first semester to be able to pinpoint the rationale in a case.
The rationale is also usually the longest part of my case briefs- this is because it is the meat of the case. This is the part of the case that actually makes you understand the why of the decision. Often, there are more than one rationales for the decision and it is important to flesh out all parts that led to the decision and conclusion. My rationale section in my case briefs will usually be a solid paragraph or two.
6. Conclusion
The conclusion of a case brief is simply what the court rules. Did they affirm or overrule? Who did they rule in favor for? This is simple and should be no more than a sentence or two.
Example: The court affirmed the decision of the trial court.
Bonus: Dissent or Concurrence
Sometimes cases will have dissents and concurrences. It is important to jot down some notes on which justice did so and why because it will often be a question from the professor during class.
There it is- a very quick and bare-bones outline of how I brief cases while I am reading cases for class. Everyone has their own style and everyone does things a little different. Use trial and error to figure out exactly what works for you.
The start of school is fast approaching. For all those soon to be 1L's, this is a very exciting and nerve wracking time. As a list maker, I am always writing lists of what all I have to do before _____ (whatever is coming up). This time last year, I had lists all over my house of all the things I needed to do before starting my 1L year. To help all the new 1L's (and even 2Ls and 3Ls), I have compiled all of that into one big master list of the things you need to do before starting law school... I included some GIF's to hopefully keep you laughing and keep the stress level low. Also, I included a printable checklist to help! I hope it helps!
1. Buy Books
Don't wait until the last minute to buy books. The University bookstore is usually more expensive and if you start early you can find better deals online.
2. Organize Financial Aid
Make sure your finances, whatever they may be, are in order so that you can start school in the clear! It never hurts to double check even if you did this previously.
3. Scope Out Parking
Nothing is worse than getting to school on the first day and making yourself late by not finding a parking spot or not knowing where to park. Make a point to scope out the parking situation and ask upperclassmen how the parking is when school is in session (busy times, etc.). This way you can arrive on your first day knowing what to expect parking wise.
Don't pull a Ross
4. Buy School Supplies
Go get your folders, binders, notebooks, highlighters, etc. Make sure everything is organized and ready to go for your first day. If you wait too long, the stores will be super picked over and the good stuff will be gone. More info on school supplies here. Also, get a planner. Trust me- you absolutely need one to stay sane and organized in law school.
5. Sign up for Lexis Nexis
You can sign up for Lexis Nexis and start earning rewards points before school even starts! They offer many videos and information that may help with your first day reading as well.
6. Pick out a First Day Outfit
Maybe I am extra crazy, but I have always made a point to pick out the perfect first day of school outfit. I feel like it sets the tone for the semester. Especially for your first day of law school, this is your first impression to your classmates so you want to make it a good one. Take 10 minutes and put together a killer outfit that makes you feel confident and bad ass to rock on your first day!
7. Print Syllabi
Print your class syllabi and figure out what each teacher is looking for. Can you use a computer? Is there a midterm? What is the first reading assignment? You can take all the dates and assignments and add them to your planner. It is good to go into day one with an idea of what your professor is looking for and news flash, law school doesn't really do syllabus day so it is up to you- they won't spoon feed it to you like undergrad.
8. Complete First Day Reading
Finish your first-day reading assignments sooner rather than later. Don't wait until the night before- you will go crazy. Start early and spread it out over a bit of time so you can slowly acclimate to the massive amounts of reading. Take good notes because you never know who will be the first person cold called. You do not want to recreate that famous scene from the movie The Paper Chase.
9. Double Check Classroom Locations
Once in undergrad, I went to my first day of class only to find a locked classroom and no other students. I quickly double checked the classroom online and realized it had been changed since I had last checked a week or so before classes started. Needless to say, I ended up running across campus and being late for my first day of class. To avoid this, double check classroom locations the night before your classes. You do not want to be late to your first law school classes; it makes for a poor first impression and you will get a crappy seat.
Don't be this guy
10. Make Laptop Updates
Make sure any updates are done to your laptop before starting classes. You don't want it to suddenly decide to complete that update you have been putting off in the middle of your first class while you are typing out notes.
11. Pack a Tote/Bookbag
I always like to have my chosen bag packed and ready to go the night before an event or in this case, the first day of classes. It makes me feel prepared and less stressed. I suggest packing your tote or bookbag ahead of time to make sure you have everything you need and to make the first morning a little smoother. Also it is good to know if everything will fit or not and if you need to reevaluate what bag you carry. Here is everything I keep in my law school book bag: Whats in My Bookbag- Law School Edition.
12. Invest in a Lunchbox
Packing a daily lunch saves you soooo much money over going out to eat every day. It is also healthier than getting fast food all the time. Go ahead and invest in a lunchbox- you will not be sorry!
13. Decide on a Study Space
I knew from the beginning I would primarily study at home. Therefore, I set up a home office to be my study space. Decide you a place where you will study productively and without distractions and plan on it. If you decide on the library, plan to head there after classes to finish the next days reading. If it is at home, have your desk clean and organized so you can come home from the first classes and get to work. If it is a local coffee shop or cafe, put aside $5-10 to treat yourself while you study there. Wherever you decide to study, plan on it and try to stick to it from the start. You may find that you original plan didn't work and there is no harm in changing up your study location. Just figure out a plan and try to stick to it. It helps to form a routine.
14. Explore Your New City
Not everyone moves to a new city for law school but many do. Before classes start and you get caught up in the hustle of 1L year, try to do some exploring in your new city. Try some restaurants, find a cute coffee shop, find the closest and most well stocked target and if you have time check out some local attractions such as zoo's and museums. It is nice to take some time to become familiar with your new city and gain some affinity for it. After all, you will be spending 3 years here so get comfortable.
15. Prep a Few Meals
I am super into meal planning/prepping. It saves me so much time and stress to have everything planned out ahead of time for what we are eating for the week. I have an entire blog post all about my meal planning and prepping (view it here). Your first few days (and probably weeks) of law school will be hectic and stressful. I suggest stocking up on a groceries ahead of time and planning some easy meals, lunches and snacks so you aren't stressing about cooking or spending a bunch of money on fast food the first little bit of law school.
16. Fill Your Gas Tank
Confession time: I was almost late to my first day of law school classes because I had to stop and get gas last minute because I didn't realize it was low. Avoid my mistake and go into the first day of classes with a full tank of gas... no matter how broke tuition has made you.
17. Do a Social Media Clean Up
Law school is your first foray into the legal community and your classmates will likely become a part of your professional community. It is a good idea to make a little clean up of your social media accounts: remove pictures featuring lots of alcohol (a glass of wine is usually okay), crazy college party pictures, swear words, excessive amounts of selfies, etc. You want people to see a professional image when they search your social media pages (because you know they will be after orientation). You don't want your first impressions to be marked by some old stuff on social media accounts. Another idea is to put strong privacy settings on or change you name on social media but millennials are as bad as the FBI- if they want to find your social media, they will. It is a good practice to start cleaning up your social media now because future jobs will also look at social media accounts and you want a professional image.
18. Rest Up
Law school usually leads to less sleep than you may prefer. Sleep in while you can and take a few naps. You want to start out feeling rested and ready to rock!
19. Relax
Law school is stressful and hectic and relaxation time will be a rare treat. Take some time now to relax and do things you enjoy.
20. Treat Yo' Self
Along with resting and relaxing, it's great to pamper yourself before law school starts. Go for a mani-pedi if you can afford it or just do it at home. Get your eyebrows waxed and maybe a fresh hairdo. Take a bubble bath and do a face mask. Go for a shopping trip and grab Starbucks. Pamper yourself now because you are about to put your mind to quite a challenge. Channel your inner Tom and Donna and treat yo' self.
Enjoy these last few weeks before law school but make sure you get everything done so you are not scrambling at the last minute. Good luck!
Ahhhh early August; When school supplies invades every retail establishment and middle school supply lists can be found in the front of every Walmart. Call me a nerd but I love this time of year. I love preparing and shopping for the upcoming school year and starting out feeling prepared. School supplies are one of my favorite things to shop for and I can spend an eternity (in the words of my husband) trying to pick out the perfect pens. As Law School grows ever nearer, I have been taking stock of what I have and what I still need in terms of school supplies. As of this week, I feel that I have everything I need and started organizing it, labeling, color coding.... you know typical crazy OCD stuff.
The first few days (and weeks) of law school I was honestly a nervous wreck about 75% of the time. I felt so inadequate and like I was flying completely blind. I studied constantly, barely slept, compared myself to everyone else and was a mess. Eventually, I figured out how to case brief, read faster, answer a cold call and still get some sleep in the process. As things get easier and you figure out what you need to do and how you need to do and the stress and nerves slowly melt away. To avoid some of my mistakes and make your first few weeks easier, here are some tips on quelling your nerves in the first few days/weeks of law school.
Law School is very much in a modern, technological age. I have yet to need to enter the library and actually use the books, most of my assignments are due online and I take computer notes in all but 2 classes. As a result of this digital age, I have found several applications that are absolutely necessary to help me in Law School.
Are you gearing up for your first year of law school??? The last bit of time before the first year starts in nerve-wracking. I spent it trying desperately to prepare myself for the experience: what I would wear, what I would need and what an outline was. It is very hard to prepare and know what to expect from an experience like law school. Also, people were always asking what I needed. I didn't even know what I needed let alone tell them what to get me! So, I have compiled a list of the things I could not have survived my first year of law school without.
For those in the middle of their first week of law school or law school orientation- stay strong! You are halfway there!
To continue my Law School series for 1L's, I am talking today about my top tips for creating a manageable reading schedule for law school- particularly for 1L year (but I have used these tips beyond 1L year).
It's that time of year... back to school supplies are in stores and that means school will be here before we know it. For all those out there enjoying their last summer before starting law school, I am going to hit on a lot of the questions I get about starting 1L year in the next few weeks. First up, what is the first day of law school like?
Let's be real, people... my first day of law school was a while ago... like almost two years ago. However, it was a pretty monumental event so I remember it pretty clearly. I was so stressed out going into 1L year. I tend to be an anxious person by nature and I overthink everything. So naturally, starting law school had me all in a tizzy. In reality, most of what I was stressed about was not really cause for concern... but it sure didn't feel that way at the time. For all those out there who are gearing up for law school this fall, I hope this helps to ease any anticipation jitters or nerves about your first day.
I stressed myself out about every little detail of starting law school: what should I wear, what bag should I use, handwritten or computer notes, would professors cold call, would the other students be nice, should I pack a lunch... and so on. When I say I stressed about everything, I mean everything. It is partially my nature to stress about every little thing and it was also partially because law school is such a huge undertaking and the doorway to my chosen career. I read everything I could find about what the first few days would be like to try to prepare myself. Thankfully, all my stressing was for almost no reason and my first day of law school was pretty painless (you can read all about it here: My First Day of Law School).
For all those who stress about the details just like me or those just wondering, I am going to outline what to expect from your first day. I polled some of my law school friends, as well as taking my own experiences and observations, to get this. I am sure that I will not cover everything and some people will have or have had very different experiences but I am going to try to hit on the big and general stuff to expect and be honest about it.
I have been pretty absent from blogging recently... all of my spare time, and then some, has been devoted to my appellate brief. For those new to the law school lifestyle, most law schools require a legal research and writing class. Generally, second semester of your first year, the big assignment that determines most of your grade is an appellate brief process over a big legal fact problem.
For my class, we were given a fact pattern involving trademark infringement. First, we did a serious of research reports, then a trial brief and lastly the 30-page appellate brief that I turned in on Monday. I still have an oral argument that is ungraded and I will be done with legal research and writing!
I am not going to lie- this was the hardest writing assignment I have ever had. It took forever, given the amount of my grade it represented I had to be a perfectionist, and we had a really complex fact pattern and law to deal with. However, now that it is over and turned in, I am feeling pretty good about the work I did and proud of myself for completing such a huge assignment.
What is an Appellate Brief?
(I am going to give you the cliff notes version because your respective professor will give you the precise outline and information on what you need to do.)
An appellate brief is submitted to urge an appellate court to affirm or reverse the lower court decision. The Appellant is the moving/appealing party seeking a reversal while the Appellee is the non-moving party asking for affirmation of the lower decision. It is generally a large document written very persuasivly in regards to your parties position. In real court, these briefs are what the appellate court looks to for the information they use to make a decision. In the law school arena, this is an exercise in legal research and persusasive writing.
The Process
Basically, the way it went at my school is that we were given the fact pattern, assigned plaintiff or defendant and asked to start research when spring semester began. From there, we had a series of research assignments to really hone the cases and the related law. This was challenging because the problem we dealt with had an applicable 8-factor legal test to decide the case. That was a lot of law to consider and learn. All said and done, I think I used about 15 cases to make my arguments.
The next step was to write a persuasive trial brief for the plaintiff or defendant. I had plaintiff side and this paper rounded out at about 18 pages complete.
Once the trial brief was over, they adjusted our facts to add what happened in the fictional "trial" and we were swapped from our existing side and given the opposing side to write the appellate brief in favor of. This was the most challenging thing for me- I had to turn off my advocate in my head for the plaintiff and start advocating for the defendant. It took a bit to wrap my head around that.
I had about 3 weeks to write my appellate brief. It went reallyyyy fast. I worked steadily on it a little bit at a time and finally turned in the 30-page final project this Monday.
Sticking with the appellate brief sides, we are doing an oral argument next week for no grade but we get feedback and it doubles as a try out for moot court if you choose to do so.
Some Tips to Ease the Process
1. Start EARLY
I know you probably hear that from every teacher under the sun but seriously, start really early. This is not like those papers in undergrad that you could knock out in a long weekend or an all nighter. If you want a return of a good grade, you have to put in ample work over time to ensure it is quality. The more time you have, the more time you have to write a little bit at a time so you don't get burnt out, rework on a sentence level for maximum persuasiveness and to edit edit edit. 2. If possible, meet with Professor
Not all professors will meet with you in regards to the brief and looking over your work. If they are willing to, I highly suggest doing so. They are the grader and they have more experience so whatever they have to say will probably have a positive impact on your grade. Another set of eyes, especially the highly trained eyes of your professor, is always a good idea.
3. Make time to look at it with Fresh Eyes
Finish early and leave yourself ample time for editing. I find it best to take a little time away from the paper and returning to it with fresh eyes. I find that I catch a lot more mistakes and have better luck rephrasing when I do this.
4. Find a Stopping Point
There comes a point where you have done everything you can do and you need to stop nitpicking your paper. Eventually, you just need to stop and turn it in- staying up all night and editing will not make a huge difference- in your tired state you may do more harm than good. Start early, leave time for editing and find a stopping point to press submit and be done.
The appellate brief is hard but you can do it. The feeling you have when you turn it in is one of relief and extreme pride knowing you completed such a huge accomplishment. Then, you put it out of your mind as grades won't be out until after the semester and the exam grind is on.
As for me, I should probably get back to outlining! No rest for the wicked... or law students...
Today was my busiest day of classes. Thursdays = me being on campus from 11:00am-7:00pm. It is also the week before midterms so tests are coming up and papers are due. For this reason, my backpack is loaded down and prepared for me to spend the day on campus studying my life away. Below you will find my must have lists of what I keep in my backpack, especially on busy days like today.
Books and Notebooks
- Textbooks (obviously)
- A 3 section Notebook: I only need one because I take 99% of my notes on my computer using Microsoft OneNote
- A folder for each class
Random Necessities
- Pens, Highlighters, Pencils: these honestly could be a whole post of their own because I carry a small office store with me at all times for my color coded, OCD notes
- Small bag with cosmetic necessities
- Gum
- Sunglasses
- Hand Cream
- Portable Battery pack
- Phone Charger
- Bullet Journal
- Planner
Food and Such
- Water Bottle
- Coffee Mug
- A snack: Love these little Rev Wraps for on the go lunch or snacking
- My wallet
The whole package!!
Moral of the story: someday I will probably have back problems from lugging this thing around stuffed full of all my things but I have everything I need for a successful day on Campus!
If you have been reading for a while, you may know that I struggled with my first semester of law school. If you have not been reading for a while, here's the cliff notes version: I entered law school having always been a top student, one of the smartest in my classes, on a full-tuition scholarship and having just graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual Bachelors degrees. I was ready to crush law school just like everything else. Suddenly, everything I thought I knew about school and studying didn't work and I was surrounded by people just as smart and often smarter than me. That was a big adjustment. I questioned myself and my choice to attend law school daily. Eventually, I got into the swing of things and it got easier. Then, I took law school exams... wow. They were unlike any exam I had ever completed and I struggled. A lot. No matter how hard I studied, it didn't seem to be enough and the format of the 4-hour exams was just draining. I squeaked by but my grades were nowhere near where I wanted them to be and I was confused, heartbroken and completely frustrated. I contemplated dropping out. I thought of back up plans if I couldn't finish law school. I cried to my parents and husband.
Finally, my wonderful mother got tired of my whining and moping and gave me the kick in the butt I needed- She informed me that it was okay to be upset and disappointed with myself. But she also said I had never not excelled at something I put my mind to in my entire life and it was about darn time I got knocked on my rear. She told me to stop whining and make a decision- I could either buckle down, work harder than ever before and prove to myself and my school that I could excel in law school the second semester. The other choice was dropping out and figuring out something else to do with my life. I took the first option.
I am happy to report that my hard work paid off- I re-engineered my study tactics, worked my butt off and was able to pull my GPA up 2 entire points after the second semester. I got a higher grade in every single class and I even got my first A in law school which led to me dancing down the hallway of my internship. I am eligible for Moot Court and moved up in the ranking. I have a wonderful internship and I am learning something every day. Overall, I am heading into my 2L year much more confident and set in my plan to finish law school and succeed in the legal field.
So why did I tell this story?? Because one semester does not define you. You can fail and fall flat on your back... it's okay. You can cry it out. Just pick yourself up, make some changes, buckle down and choose to improve. Never ever let one bad class or one bad semester break your dreams. I failed. I had the worst GPA of my life. I got my first C's. I took that failure and let it fuel me to never get those grades again and succeed. If I can do that, so can you!
Never give up after one tough break. You are smart enough, you are good enough and they would not have let you into law school if you couldn't do it. Re-engineer, redouble your efforts and attack it with a vengeance-fueled by all your frustrations. Work so hard you will never have grades that low again. Make success the only option. Whining and complaining will not change your grades- only hard work will do that. Do not give up after one bad semester.
The caveat to that is that it is okay to change directions. If after the first year you truly realize that law is not for you, then find something else. That is not giving up- that is making a way for yourself that is right for you. The law may not be for everyone and it is not what it seems from the outside looking in. There is no shame in choosing to go for a different career. You must do what's best for you.
I wish everyone finishing their first year the best of luck as grades come back- I hope the curve falls in your favor. For those gearing up for their first year of law school, prepare for a lot of hard work, exhaustion and the possibility of failure... but remember, you can always improve and that first semester does not define you. As my internship supervisor wisely told me, there are a million great lawyers out there making a difference and some never even got an A in law school. Grades do not define you. Keep your head above water- you can do it!!
Well hello! It has been a full month since I last blogged. Life has been absolutely crazy- I made it to the final four in my law schools interscholastic appellate advocacy competition which involved 2.5 weeks of daily practices and constant revision on top of reading, class, work and food/sleep. It cumulated in an oral argument in front of 3 real, federal judges as well as our whole student body. It was stressful and exhausting but such a great experience.
It is now midway through the semester and I know there are many 1L's out there getting stressed about final exams but are not sure quite what to do to start preparing. I have gotten a few questions about prepping for finals so I am sharing what I am doing at this point in the semester to start prepping for final exams. I hope it helps!
1. Update Outlines
I know every 1L ever is beyond tired of hearing the word outline but this is the time to be working on them and updating so you don't end up spending your whole Thanksgiving break outlining. I have been working on updating all of my outlines to the current point of material so that I can relax more on Thanksgiving break this year. For more on outlining see this post: A Guide to Outlining.
2. Meet with Professors
Now is the time to clear up confusion in the material. As you are outlining, make note of areas where you are confused or your notes were messy. Go get it cleared up by the professor sooner rather than later so you are not stressing at the last minute and fighting for office hours with all the people who waited until the week before exams to ask for help. Having your outlines updated will help you to know if there were confusing areas you need to get some help with. Then you know that whatever info is in that final outline is correct and you fully understand it.
3. Practice Essay Questions
Law school essay questions are a new breed of essays you have likely never encountered. My biggest downfall my first semester of law school was not doing enough practice questions, not being comfortable with how to write them out and not having a solid plan for how to attack them. I highly highly suggest tracking down some practice essay questions for each subject and taking some time to write them out in exam-style conditions. It will help you to become comfortable with the feel of law school essays and make it less intimidating come exam day. The best case scenario is getting old practice questions from your professor along with model answers. If you can't get those, many of the bar prep companies give out free study materials on first-year subjects and there is also tons available online after a simple google search. There are often practice questions in your casebooks as well so make sure to look there. 4. Practice Multiple Choice
Just like essays, law school multiple choice questions are very different from other multiple choice. Find some to practice and get comfortable with them. It will make exam day way less stressful when you are prepared for the type of questions you will encounter. In addition, practice essay and multiple choice questions can pinpoint some weak areas in your understanding of the subject that need to be cleared up before exam time.
5. Start Studying
I know it seems crazy early, but it is time to start actually studying. Practice essay questions and practice multiple choice are a part of that but substantively studying the material is most important. I like to start making flashcards and reading over my outlines at this time. I also start meeting with my study group or study partners to go over out outlines and ensure that we have everything/there are no holes. I love group studying but it is not for everyone. If you are studying solo, start making a habit out of studying and find a good spot for it. If you plan to group study, start meeting with your group and ironing out the kinks. Law school exams require you to know and understand a massive amount of information. The earlier you start studying, the better. 6. Relax and Stay Healthy
Don't get me wrong, this is a stressful time and working hard is vital. But doing so at the sacrifice of your mental and physical health is not good. Eat well, get plenty of sleep, take some time for yourself and the things you enjoy, exercise and spend time with friends and family. Law school takes over your life but you have to fight back a little bit and keep yourself happy and healthy. Also, it is cold and flu season so it wouldn't hurt to start taking a multi-vitamin and vitamin C- it is no good to be sick during exams!!
I am not sure where the time went butttttt final exams are in like a month. Cue epic freak out. Time to outline, write out flashcards and take practice exams until I'm blue in the face. Here is what I am doing to prepare and set myself up for success one month out from final exams.
This is the second installment of the 1L law student series- today I am talking about the binder system I use for law school to stay organized- I keep all my notes, handouts, etc in a binder labeled for each individual class. But instead of typing out a blog post explaining how I use my binders for law school, I recorded my first ever VLOG! I am introducing my new youtube channel for vlogging today with a brand new video.
I had a ton of reader requests for some law school vlogs as an extension of this blog so I have spent some time over the last few weeks working out the kinks and figuring it out. It was actually pretty fun to record and just talk instead of typing everything out... though it was awkward just talking to my phone at first. Hopefully, my first vlog isn't completely horrible.
Please let me know your thoughts on this and if you want to see more of it in the future!
First year of law school down... what next? For most of us, we move onto our first legal internships to fill the summer between 1L and 2L year. Personally. I will be working in my local criminal prosecutor's office and receiving class credit for externship experience. Preparing for my first foray into the professional legal world has me a little stressed out and apprehensive. Regardless, I have spent my week off between the end of finals and the start of my internship preparing myself in every way I can.
1. A Legal Wardrobe
One thing I have had tucked in the back of my mind for years is my future as a lawyer = professional wardrobe every. dang. day. Partially fun to dress up every day, partially daunting to dress like that day in day out and never being able to rock a pair of leggings at work. Over the years, I have been collecting professional clothing when I find it on sale or something I just have to have (working at TJ Maxx all through college helped with that). As my first legal internship has been growing closer, I have been spending a little time and moolah on my "lawyer wardrobe". J. Crew Factory has some amazing sales! I have gotten some amazing deals including a $12 lace pencil skirt! The sales rack at Kohls has also been rather good to me. I tend to be a constant shopper.... no matter where I am, I browse and see what I can happen across; if it is a good deal, I get it. This has led to me taking over the closet in our office with just my professional clothing... sorry hubby! I highly suggest spending some time and money before you start a legal internship on amassing a wardrobe large enough and varied enough to last you a whole summer in a law office. You don't want to be known as the girl who wears the same pants every other day or spend the first few weekends shopping frantically and getting stuck with clothes you don't love.
Once you have the wardrobe, spend a little time creating outfits and make sure you aren't missing the right color belt or a certain color undershirt. I like to plan out my outfits a few days in advance so I will do this Sunday night for the upcoming week. It makes me less stressed to have it done.
2. Invest in a Work Tote
Ladies, a work tote is a must-have. First, you need to carry all of your stuff to and from an internship. The old Vera Bradley tote from 9th grade is great for school and trips but do you really want to waltz into a professional legal internship carrying it? I am not huge on name brands so I do not have a Kate Spade or Michael Kors tote for work; I found a cute leather option on sale at Kohls that is high quality, exactly the size and style I wanted and did not break the bank. In my opinion, it's a win-win. Also, I spend a little time this week packing my work tote. Inside I have my wallet, my little cosmetics emergency kit, my planner, a small notebook for jotting down assignment notes, a small bag of my favorite pens because I am a pen snob, chapstick, hand lotion, a phone charger and a bobble refillable filtering water bottle because who knows what the courthouse water will taste like. For boys.... I guess this is a briefcase... Sorry I am of no use in what a male lawyer should carry.
3. Research Your Internship
You have likely already done this when interviewing, etc. but it never hurts to brush up on things! Figure out where you are going to park, the route you will take to work, how early you need to arrive, etc. I emailed my internship supervisor early this week to work out last minute details. I drove down to check out the parking situation yesterday; I can pay for the parking garage on Monday. Check out the Linked In accounts of the lawyers you will be working under. See if there are any prominent cases happening and read up what you can. The more research and prep I have done helps me to feel less stressed on the day of.
4. Treat Yo'Self
As I typed that, I internally said it in the voice of Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation.... but I digress. You just finished finals and a whole year of law school. Give yourself a little break and do what makes you happy. For me, that was spending large amounts of time on my couch watching Netflix, working my way through a few new novels, doing a few face and hair masks, some shopping and cleaning my house top to bottom, cleaning out our closets, cooking, baking a million cookies and getting it back to an organized state. I am also planning on getting a manicure this weekend so I can walk in Monday morning feeling fresh, rested, happy and with bangin nails. I had things to do this week but I also spent it just recharging and refreshing after a few weeks of intense stress so I can move onto the next challenge.
As hard as it is for me to believe that my first year of law school is over, I am enjoying my week off and I am so excited for my internship to begin! There will be many more updates throughout the summer so stop back to hear how it's going.
I have been so preoccupied with posting tips for incoming 1L's, I realized I hadn't really shared some of the big life changes going on in my life lately.
First up, a life update. As my Instagram followers likely noticed, my husband and I just returned from a week long vacation to the midcoast of Maine. We had such a wonderful time and enjoyed the scenery and time with family. We were overdue for some time to just relax together without the day to day stresses of being homeowners and dog parents, working and school. At just over a year of marriage, it is so nice to sit back and just enjoy each others company and remember that we are still newlyweds living our happily ever after. As for the midcoast of Maine, it is one of my favorite places in the world. I am going to be posting a travel guide soon for anyone thinking of taking a trip there.
A post shared by Brandy- The Legal Duchess (@thelegalduchess) on
This summer I have had time to read some books I have been dying to read, catch up on some TV shows I enjoy, see some new movies and spend time with family. I have been making a point to put my new FitBit to use and I started running aagin- must get back in shape!
As for an update in my life legally, I am just about finished with my summer internship. I have been interning at my local Prosecutors office- criminal felony division. I have absolutely loved my experience and I am going to miss everyone in the office dearly. I have learned so much through the summer and my writing and research skills are vastly improved. It has served to reaffirm my decision to pursue a career in criminal law.
A post shared by Brandy- The Legal Duchess (@thelegalduchess) on
As for next summer, I have already secured a position clerking for a local common pleas judge. I have worked with this judge some throughout my internship this summer and I am so excited to work closely with her next summer. She is 35, a wife, a mom, a judge and in every way a complete badass and huge role model to me! I am so excited for where that experience will take me and what I will learn... and it is a big relief to already have a position secured this early and not have to worry about it anymore.
I will be starting my 2L year in about 2 weeks and I am very excited for some new things. First, I was selected as a member of our schools Moot Court team and I will be arguing Products Liability. I am so honored to have been one of few selected out of our 1L class for this opportunity. Second, I will be working in my school's admissions office as a student representative. I will be giving tours, helping with social media, working the desk, etc. I will get paid through work study so it will be nice to have a little extra cash flow! I think it will be really fun and I am so excited to help welcome our new 1L class at orientation in a week or so.
Overall, summer 2017 has been pretty darn great and I am so excited for upcoming adventures and challenges. Thank you to everyone who has followed my little blog and my crazy life- the comments, messages, and notes I get just make my day!
Well.... I just completed my 3rd week of the second semester of law school. SOS.... it's been rough. First semester sucked.... second semester is so far even harder. Does someone want to remind me why I thought law school was a good idea?
So far, I have twice as much reading each night compared to last semester, legal research and writing assignments every weekend, professional development activities left and right, making time to review my exams from last semester and trying to find an internship. Outside of law school, I was rear-ended in a hit & run accident, my car is in the shop, I have been sharing a car with my husband and driving him to and from work, we got a new dog and my house chores are so overdue it's not even funny. It has been crazyyyy. 3 weeks in and I already had a meltdown.
One thing I know that is weighing on my mind is my grades from last semester- they were not at the level I had wanted, though they were not bad. I am working twice as hard thus far trying to set myself up for success this semester and to raise my GPA. I am reading more thoroughly, taking excessive reading notes, raising my hand twice as much in class and I have already started outlining. I sure hope it pays off because I am exhausted.
As for the internship search, I have an interview next week (hallelujah!!). I know it will be a huge relief once I have something pinned down and that isn't hanging over my head and stressing me out anymore.
I hope your second semesters are off to a better start than mine!
